Solar Thermal Heating
Harness the Sun Energy to provide Hot Water for Your Home
Solar Thermal or Solar water heating works in a similar way to leaving a hosepipe out in the sun! The basic principle of solar thermal heating is to utilize the sun’s energy which generates renewable heated water by collectors on the roof, absorbing the radiated energy from the sun. Sun energy heats the fluid, which is pumped around a sealed circuit, through the collectors and into a coil within a specially designed hot water cylinder. The hot water is then stored in the cylinder until it is needed.
In summer, solar thermal panels can provide most of your hot water requirements. However, in winter, depending on your usage, you may find they only meet around a fraction of your needs. Solar thermal heating can provide you with about 90% of your hot water needs in summer and 25% in winter. As the amount of solar energy varies throughout the year, solar thermal systems are usually used alongside a conventional boiler, immersion heater or a heat pump. Also, most solar thermal systems are designed to provide hot water for baths, showers and taps only. They do not circulate hot water to your radiators.
Solar Thermal system lowers your carbon footprint but is not cheap and can cost more to install than conventional electric and gas heating systems. So, before you invest, you need to be sure that solar thermal panels are right for your home and your needs.
Harness Sun energy for Environmentally Friendly Hot Water solution for your home
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Solar thermal panels use fluid-filled solar collectors, filled with a mixture of glycol and water, to collect infra-red energy from the sun. As the sun shines on the panels, this liquid gets hot. The hot liquid is pumped from the panels on your roof through pipes in your hot water cylinder. Inside the cylinder, these pipes coil around like a spring. As the hot liquid flows through these pipes, it warms up the water in your cylinder. The water is pumped back up to the panels to be heated by the sun again, and the cycle continues.
There are two types of solar water heating collectors:
- Evacuated tubes – these use a bank of glass tubes mounted on your roof tiles. They absorb the solar radiation via absorbers and then transfer it in the form of thermal energy to a fluid.
- Flat plate collectors – these are fixed to your roof tiles or integrated into the roof itself. The black absorber surface is positioned towards the sun. The absorber surface coating has been designed such that it absorbs maximum radiation and reflects a low amount of energy. The absorbed energy is then transferred to the heat carrier fluid circulating in the pipes, below the absorber surface.
You will need to consider the site location, the property’s location in the country, roof tilt and orientation and any possible shade from direct sunlight.
Generally you will be able to use all of the existing pipework but in some cases, it may be necessary to buy or use an existing boiler to accommodate the solar thermal system. Integrating a solar thermal system with a combi-boiler system may prove problematic without a compatible hot water cylinder.
In England & Wales, installation of a Solar Thermal system is usually considered Permitted Development, so you may not require Planning Permission. However, if you live in a conservation area, a listed building or a world heritage site, you should contact your Council to check on local requirements.
You need to install your Solar Thermal panels on a south-facing roof at a 30-degree angle to the horizontal for maximum efficiency. The Solar Thermal panels can be heavy, so your roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the Solar panels are to be installed on top of existing heavy roof tiles. Some Solar Thermal panels require regular checks of the unit and connections, or a wipe of the panel glass with mild detergent so please bear in mind how difficult this might be to access when panels are up on your roof.
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